Converting intersections to roundabouts, installing roadside barriers, and adding sidewalks to existing roadways are among the six cost-effective road improvements that can potentially save 64,000 lives and prevent more than 353,000 serious injuries over a 20-year period, a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report says.

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— an announcement from AAA Northeast, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association

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“We can save tens of thousands of lives and make our roadways safer by investing in improvements that we already know exist,” says Dr. David Yang, the AAA Foundation’s executive director. “Now is the time to act by targeting limited resources where they will have the greatest impact.”

With an investment of $146 billion, the AAA Foundation study proposes the following six roadway recommendations that it says has the greatest potential to reduce both the likelihood and consequences of crashes:

Convert key intersections into roundabouts

Install roadside barriers and clear roadside objects

Add sidewalks and signalized pedestrian crossing on majority of roads

Install median barriers on divided highways

Install shoulder and centerline rumble strips

Pave and widen shoulders

With the U.S. ranked nearly last among high-income nations in annual traffic fatalities, the AAA Foundation also urges the Trump Administration to make roadway repair and maintenance in this country a top priority.

Current investments in highway infrastructure improvements in the U.S. are substantially lower than what is necessary to fix the nation’s aging roads and bridges.

While the report’s proposed $146 billion investment will have a significant national-level impact, increased investment is also required at all levels of government to prevent an infrastructure crisis.

The report recommends state and local governments take action to prioritize safer highway design, improve road conditions and cleaning up roadway debris, among other recommendations.

About AAA Northeast

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with 61 offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing more than 2 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, finance, and auto-related services.

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